More than 400 buses have been upgraded to meet the requirements of the new Low Emission Bus Zones (LEBZ) in London by Lincolnshire-based emissions reduction specialists Eminox.

The buses, operated by Arriva, Go Ahead Group and Tower Transit, now meet Euro VI standards thanks to the Eminox SCRT ' designed and manufactured in the UK ' which reduces NOX and CO2 emissions by 99% and particulate matter (PM) by 95%.

Among the zones in which the buses will operate are the Putney and Brixton LEBZs which have already been implemented.

The Putney LEBZ has already shown a 90% reduction in hourly pollution level breaches and early analysis shows a 40% reduction in annual NO2 concentrations. The Brixton to Streatham route had previously exceeded hourly levels of NO2 on 539 occasions in 2016 and had breached 2017's limits by January 5th.

With the recently retrofitted buses now in action, the mayor has confirmed that for the first time in 10 years, London has stayed within its legal limits in January to date.

Another 10 LEBZs are planned for around the capital. The remaining zones, which are all outside the central Ultra-Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ), include Stratford, Harringay and Edgware and will all be in force by 2020.

Carlos Vicente, retrofit sales director for Eminox, said: 'We are proud to be the largest contributor to the TfL programme and have worked closely with all of our customers to make this happen. The number fitted to the latest clean bus standards is growing daily.

'Over the next two years, this focus is only going to become more intense as the new London Ultra-Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) is introduced and Clean Air Zones (CAZ) are announced across the country.

'Bus, coach and specialist vehicle operators will be looking for the most cost-effective way to upgrade their vehicles in order not be charged for entry into a variety of UK cities.

'Eminox has upgraded more vehicles to Euro VI standards than anyone else working on these projects. Upgrading vehicles with SCRT has proven itself time and time again to help reduce emissions and is considerably cheaper than alternative options such as buying new vehicles'

Eminox said it has received a significant increase in enquiries regarding retrofitting for the new London ULEZ, which will be introduced in 2019.